By Elizabeth Greenwood

Earlier this year, Safe Work Australia (SWA) released its data report Psychological health and safety in the workplace.

The report showed a concerning upward trend of workplace violence and aggression. Of particular concern was the fact that SWA’s Traumatic Injuries Fatalities (TIF) preliminary data shows that in 2023 there were at least six workers deaths in the one year (after being assaulted) compared with a total of six worker deaths over the previous 5 years. 

Opportunities for better risk management

Given these findings, SWA decided to do a deep dive to better understand where there are opportunities for better risk management approaches to prevent workplace violence and aggression. 

The results from that deep dive were published last month, when SWA released its data report Workplace and work-related violence and aggression in Australia. 

It is important for PCBUs to be aware of the results from this deep dive and incorporate them into your risk assessment systems.

This article provides an overview of the report’s findings, which Business NSW believes its members should be aware of and take into account when performing their risk assessment.

SWA’s findings

SWA’s findings in relation to workplace violence and aggression covered the following areas:

  • industries
  • gender
  • age
  • vulnerable workers
  • perpetrators 
  • behaviours, and 
  • impacts. 

Industries 

Those industries with the highest incidence of occupational violence were:

  • health care and social assistance industry, and
  • education and training 

Also of concern are the industries of:

  • accommodation and food services
  • mining
  • administrative and support services 
  • transport, postal and warehousing, and 
  • retail trade. 

SWA intends to do further research to better understand the nature of workplace violence and aggression, particularly in industries such as Retail Trade and Accommodation and Food Services.

Gender

With respect to gender, the report shows that generally, women were more likely than men to experience sexual violence, while men were more likely to experience physical violence. 

SWA intends to do further research to better understand these trends by examining factors such as:

  • the quality or workplace control measures to manage exposure to violence and aggression
  • access to workers’ compensation
  • propensity to make a claim
  • the type or frequency of violence experienced
  • the injury severity
  • support from employers following the exposure, and
  • the interaction with other psychosocial hazards.

Age 

Although the international experience is that young people were more likely to face violence and harassment at work, but Australian studies suggest that incidents of violence and harassment occur more frequently for older age groups. 

Vulnerable workers

The report states that one survey found that workers identifying as Aboriginal and//or Torres Strait Islander report having experienced workplace violence in the previous six months, compared with 12% of workers not identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 

The report states that more research and data collection is needed in relation to the experience of migrant workers and other vulnerable groups including people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people and LGBTIQ+ people.

Perpetrators 

ABS data indicates that work-related physical violence was more likely to be perpetrated by a client, patient or customers.

However, another data source shows a high number of workers having experienced physical violence  by a male employer, manager, supervisor or co-worker.   

Behaviours 

ABS data indicates that workplace physical violence is more prevalent than workplace sexual assaults. 

Better insights can be gained by the results of the PAW survey which maps the incidence and frequency of the range of types of violent behaviours in the workplace such as:

  • angry or hostile behaviour
  • shouting and swearing
  • intimidation and insults
  • antagonism and jeering
  • someone encroaching on your personal space
  • verbal threats
  • banging, hitting or kicking items
  • throwing objects
  • pushing, shoving, tripping or grabbing
  • physical assault (eg punching or kicking),
  • scratching
  • feet stamping
  • spitting and biting
  • attacking with a weapon, and 
  • sexual assault.

That map is reproduced in this report. 

Impacts 

It should be noted that the leading type of injury from these types of behaviours in the workplace is ‘mental health conditions’ followed by the type of physical injuries expected to have been caused in these types of situations.

SWA’s report concludes by stressing the importance of PCBUs: 

  • providing appropriate systems of WHS reporting (including WHS incident notification requirements), and
  • removing barriers to reporting (especially when managing sensitive incidents). 

Workplace Health and Safety Show

Business NSW is a proud sponsor of the Workplace Health and Safety Show being held on 23-24 October 2024. Registration is free. The program features more than 75 world-class speakers and members are encouraged to attend.

Register here.

Elizabeth Greenwood is Senior Policy Manager, Workers Compensation, WHS and Regulation at Business NSW.